


glass, imperfect and brittle

by hecksalmonids



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Gen, it’s just a vent fic really, i’m not so good with metaphors., not sure what else to tag this?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-27
Updated: 2020-10-27
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:55:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27232363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hecksalmonids/pseuds/hecksalmonids
Summary: Akira Kurusu is many things — selfless, helpful, capable, broken.
Comments: 7
Kudos: 32





	glass, imperfect and brittle

Akira’s not sure exactly when he broke himself.

The logical answer, to a bystander, would be the day he was arrested. When the life he knew was torn to pieces, and he was abandoned. It would make sense, of course.

(He’s been broken for far longer than that.)

It’s a fact of his life, from the day he was born, that he is to be successful. He is to excel at everything he does, he is to be honorable, he is to be perfect. He is to be tempered in roaring flames until he is hardened steel, unbendable, to push back any opposing force.

Akira Kurusu is not steel. He is glass, forged by a fire much too hot, flaws and stresses in all the wrong places, and the weight of the world has left him no other option than to shatter.

* * *

One fact that most everyone knows is that glass shards are dangerous.

It’s only natural that he is avoided — is it not the smart decision to stay away from what would cause you pain? He doesn’t resent them.

It’s convenient to be broken, he’s realized. He can help the ones who matter. He can save the boy with the tousled blond hair, and the girl in the shamrock hoodie, and everyone to follow. Hurt worse than they have ever deserved. Not like him, of course — they were not subjected to this for their own faults. Not like him, no, they were not fragile and easily broken. Not like him, they deserved to be helped, to be saved. Broken glass may be dangerous, but he can turn his shards against those who would harm them. He can be useful.

He can be useful.

He can help.

He can be useful.

He can be useful.

(He’s fracturing even worse. It won’t be long before he’s beyond saving.)

He can be useful.

* * *

In the end, he lets them get too close.

They’re not foolish, and he knows it — so why do they tempt fate? Why do they get close enough to shattered glass to be hurt? He’s warned them off before. He’s too dangerous, he doesn’t want to hurt them, he’s not worth the effort. He deserves to be broken. Why are they deaf to his words?

He never could have stopped them in the end — he’s too weak, after all.

Gentleness has always been a foreign concept to him. All he’s ever known is the roaring inferno, engineered to make him strong. His friends show him a new flame, a softer one, providing warmth and comfort. It’s unfamiliar — perhaps even a little daunting. Yet their kindness is relentless, as their emotions often are. He’s always admired that about them. 

In the end, it dulls his edges to be truly among his friends. He feels wanted. He feels safe.

(He lets the word leave his lips sometimes, when he’s alone, barely a whisper.  _ Friends. _ It puts a smile on his face, and he may even believe he deserves it.)

* * *

(He’s still broken.)

(But maybe with the love he has, he can start to put himself back together.)

**Author's Note:**

> been a while, huh?  
> i’ve got a lot of wips, but i’ve been in a bad spat these past few days and i elected to write about it with one of my comfort characters.  
> it may not be long, or adept with metaphors, or even be worth reading at all, but it was nice to get it out. who knows, maybe there’s someone out there who’ll find value in it  
> i hope you’re all doing better than i am. kudos and comments are appreciated


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